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The anointing of Solomon. Cornelis de Vos, 17th century. Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

Psalm 144

15 verses · Royal psalm

Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

The line breaks below follow the poem's own punctuation.

Blessed be the LORD, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer.He is my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?

Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke.

Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them; shoot Your arrows and rout them.

Reach down from on high; set me free and rescue me from the deep waters, from the grasp of foreigners,

whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful.

I will sing to You a new song, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will make music to You—

to Him who gives victory to kings, who frees His servant David from the deadly sword.

Set me free and rescue me from the grasp of foreigners, whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful.

Then our sons will be like plants nurtured in their youth, our daughters like corner pillars carved to adorn a palace.

Our storehouses will be full, supplying all manner of produce; our flocks will bring forth thousands, tens of thousands in our fields.

Our oxen will bear great loads.There will be no breach in the walls, no going into captivity, and no cry of lament in our streets.

Blessed are the people of whom this is so; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.

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